1225 is one of two surviving PM 2-8-4 locomotives, the other being 1223, which was on display at the Tri-Cities Historical Society near the ex-Grand Trunk Western (GTW) coaling tower in Grand Haven, Michigan, and both have the distinction of being the only surviving Pere Marquette steam locomotive left in preservation.

1225 in regular service from the locomotive's construction in 1941 until the railroad merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1947; It remained in use on C&O's Michigan lines until 1951.

It will also eventually run alongside Chicago and North Western 175, which is presently being restored to operating condition.

[6][7] In 1955, Michigan State University Trustee, Forest Akers, the former VP of Dodge Motors, was asked by C&O Chairman Cyrus Eaton if the university would be interested in having a steam locomotive (Eaton did not want to scrap the engines but was having a hard time finding places that would accept them) so that engineering students would have a piece of real equipment to study.

Akers proposed the idea to University President John Hannah, who accepted the gift of the locomotive.

John Hannah then called up Dr. Rollin Baker, director of the MSU Museum and told him that he was getting a locomotive.

[8] The C&O then instructed the yardmaster at New Buffalo to send an engine to the Wyoming Shops for a cosmetic restoration and repainting with the name Chesapeake and Ohio on the side.

[1] While on display, a child by the name of Chris Van Allsburg used to stop by the locomotive on football weekends, on his way to the game with his father.

Steve Reeves, a student and part-time employee of the Museum, whose responsibility was to display the engine on football weekends, sent out a notice in the State News that the Railroad Club would be meeting.

In 1970, at the suggestion of Randy Paquette, the club investigated the possibility of restoring the locomotive to running condition and started on that goal in 1971, with Baker's permission.

Baker later stated that he thought having students be occupied with restoring a locomotive was far more in keeping with his idea of the image the university should be presenting than campus protests.

After the club started removing the sheet metal and exposing a rusty boiler, Breslin sent Baker to the engine with two messages.

[1] In that meeting, Dr. Harden told Chuck Julian that the university was closing the Shaw Lane Power Plant and planned to pull up the tracks.

Chuck Julian, Dave Jones, an equipment operator from Williams Brothers, Dick Grieves, and a group of Hmong refugees who volunteered their time, then spent the next three days with the Williams Brothers equipment restoring the site, including casting a new concrete sidewalk.

He assigned Ted Simmons and the head of the Landscape Arts Department the task of working with Chuck Julian to find a place.

If the club or later the trust wanted a structure, it would need to be built by contractors after the university approved the design.

[1] The MSU Railroad Club and supporters of "Project 1225" formed the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation in 1978.

In August 1991, 1225, along with Nickel Plate Road 765, pulled a 31-car passenger train during the National Railway Historical Society's annual convention in Huntington, West Virginia.

[1] PM 1225 attended the Train Festival 2009[14] in Owosso from July 23–26 as part of a fundraiser to raise money for 1225's upcoming 2010-2013 FRA overhaul.

1225 was on display during the rest of festival for people to visit the engine, chat with the crew, take photos, and explore the cab.

On October 7, 2008, it was announced that NKP 765 would once again join 1225 at Train Festival, marking the first time the two Berk's have met each other since 1991.

The flue failing was later repeated on December 5 of that year, so in January 2010, 1225 went down for its required 15-year inspection, and it was found that the firebox sheets had deteriorated to the point of needing replacement.

Since 2004, 1225 has hauled winter weekend excursions to Ashley between Thanksgiving and the middle of December, due to copyright issues, as the "North Pole Express".

1225 went back into service with a new dual-beam headlight, a digital thermocouple, a second Nathan mechanical lubricator from Nickel Plate Road 757, along with a temperature sensor and alarm systems for the crew to monitor the brass and bearing boxes.

[18] Repairs to the locomotive are expected to start in January 2025, and be completed in time for the 2025 season of SRI's "North Pole Express".

In 2002, Warner Bros. was given copies of the 1225's blueprints, saved from oblivion and donated to the MSURRC by Hank Truer, which were the prototype for the locomotive image, and its sounds were used in the 2004 Christmas film The Polar Express, directed by Robert Zemeckis.

The children's book was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, as a child, attended every home football game at Michigan, next to which the engine was on static display.

Some people claim that the 1225 was picked out by the railroad to give to MSU because the number represented Christmas Day.

This was because the railroad could not scrap the engines until the liens to Detroit Bank and Trust (later to become known as Comerica), were paid off and removed.